Why are your memories so important?

Well who said they are? Perhaps not the people who believe that the past is the past and already gone. Or the people who hated history at school?

But truth be told, the majority of us understand the value of memories. How do you consider memories?

• They are a family record that tells where you came from

• They are your tribe's 'customs' and culture

• Life memories are a record of your challenges and achievements

• They are the 'highlights' and occasional 'lowlights' of your short journey in time

• Memories, can heal and explain, through understanding of who and what went before

• They are a memorial and

• Memories are usually stuffed full of learning

• They are a collection of personal and interesting stories that tell of a great journey

• They connect families and generations

• Memories are a foundation of the future for many families

There is something beautiful about memories. They are a form of time travel. Recall something in your mind and it is 70% as real as the actual experience. You can experience and feel things as you did in your past. In fact, inside your brain is there is only a model of reality. A system based on your senses, that builds and stores a memory. You and I could attend the same event and we could both store different memories of the event. The classic example of this would be a football match, where you were overjoyed by the outcome, and my memory is of a rotten referee. Memories also drift over time. The number of times that my brother has installed himself in others memories, insisting that he remembers 'he was there', while the rest of the family tell him, "You were not there". And this is a man with all his faculties in place. Reminiscing is fantastic as we get older. For one we can usually remember semantic memories better than episodic memories after a certain age. The homosapien world is built on communication and stories. I often wonder if older mammals than man, whales and dolphins, share stories and memories. But I am sure that man is where he is today as a result of sharing memories in one way or another.